Social hierarchy in the real world

All throughout middle school until college, it seems as though the jocks have the highest status/get the girls. Does this hold true in the real world? How do all the hardworking kids in school turn out in the real world? Also, what happens to the jocks?

7 Comments
 
japped187All throughout middle school until college, it seems as though the jocks have the highest status/get the girls. Does this hold true in the real world? How do all the hardworking kids in school turn out in the real world? Also, what happens to the jocks?

I would say its a mix. Jocks still get girls, although some are the dumb blonde types. Now, the smart finance guys get girls too, although some may be the money hungry type.

I'd say overall its a little more even now. In my case, I was a kind of a jock (but no sports in college) and now I'm kind of a finance nerd (I work in Crop Fin, but not at a BB) and I am extremely happy with life and my gf.

Just my opinion of things, which is pretty limited to here in Chicago.

 

yeap i would agree with that. sure, being smart is important, but only to a relative level. in the corporate world (IB, law, corporations), moving up is pretty much all politics. the cool people who are funny, social and can carry a conversation without being awkward are the people that others like and get promoted. its pretty much high school all over again.

this is especially true in invesmtnet banking. at the end, its a sales game, so if you have the personality for this, you win.

if youre an awkward nerd, better off at a hedge fund, where the only thing that matters is your return

 
gusthebusyeap i would agree with that. sure, being smart is important, but only to a relative level. in the corporate world (IB, law, corporations), moving up is pretty much all politics. the cool people who are funny, social and can carry a conversation without being awkward are the people that others like and get promoted. its pretty much high school all over again.

this is especially true in invesmtnet banking. at the end, its a sales game, so if you have the personality for this, you win.

if youre an awkward nerd, better off at a hedge fund, where the only thing that matters is your return

So how are promotions like in a field such as sell-side research or portfolio management?
 

It also depends on what region of the country you're in. For example, in the South, jocks and frat boys continue to get the hottest chicks because a lot of those girls were in sororities, and a guy's frat membership carries a lot of weight. It's a symbol of status down there. In places like NYC and SF, money, job, etc., play a large role, which is why finance nerds, or rich guys in general, can do really well with women.

 

Repellat cumque illum officia est magnam. Eius aliquam quia est officiis sunt molestiae culpa sed. Quos sint minus sed omnis. Perferendis est voluptas laboriosam voluptatibus maiores odio libero. Dolorum consequuntur illum est beatae.

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.8%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.2%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.8%
  • Evercore 01 98.2%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.6%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.2%
  • JPMorgan No 97.7%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (14) $434
  • Associates (43) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (75) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (65) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
5
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
6
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
7
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
8
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
9
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
10
bolo up's picture
bolo up
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”